As PACK EXPO Las Vegas celebrates its 20th anniversary, show owner and producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, Reston, Va., will serve up its largest Las Vegas event to date. This year, with the debut of Pharma EXPO, produced in partnership by PMMI and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), Tampa, Fla., the event will span 800,000 net square feet of exhibit space and host over 2,000 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas, which takes place Sept. 28-30 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, features a combination of top-tier exhibitors and attendees coming from more than 40 vertical markets to generate plenty of opportunities to cross-pollinate your thinking and inspire best ideas. Those include networking on the PACK EXPO and Pharma EXPO show floors and in market-specific lounges such as The Baking-Snack Break (Booth #S-7427), The Beverage Cooler (Booth #S-7429) and The Candy Bar (Booth #S-6500).

Here are a few starting points for finding the solutions you need today.

Food safety. Now that the first set of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) deadlines are in effect, keeping up with the technology you need to comply is critical. The Food Safety Summit Resource Center (Booth #S-7632), presented by the Food Safety Summit, will educate attendees about the issues underlying compliance and how to address them. Sit in on a seminar or take advantage of having subject matter experts available for one-on-one conversations about your specific situation.

For another approach to food safety issues, let Pharma EXPO provide inspiration. The pharmaceutical industry has a long history of working with technologies and regulations surrounding traceability, serialization and sanitary design. Pharma EXPO’s nearly 200 exhibitors will shine new light on your efforts.

Front of the line. For innovations in processing technology, The Processing Zone is the place to start. This hub for processing machinery will give an up-close look at the latest from leading suppliers and help jump-start front-of-line thinking.

For more information about automation, robotics and controls, stop at The Center for Trends and Technology (CTT) (booth #C-4829), sponsored by Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork. Here, attendees will find a series of displays and educational seminars that address productivity, sustainability, agility and other critical areas for manufacturing success. Partners sharing their expertise include Cisco Systems, Grantek, Interstates Controls, Microsoft and Stone Technologies.

Branding. If your brand is your passion, visit The Brand Zone, where more than 160 exhibitors will show their newest offerings in containers, materials, labeling and printing, all designed to communicate your brand’s promise, enhance shelf appeal and protect the product inside the package. Just a few steps away, check out PACK EXPO’s collection of award-winning packages from around the world in The Showcase of Packaging Innovations, sponsored by Dow Chemical Co.

Sustainability and the supply chain.The Reusable Packaging Pavilion, sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), Linden, Va., will be home to more than 30 exhibitors with reusable solutions for transport packaging, including pallets, hand-held and bulk containers. RPA also hosts The Reusable Learning Center, featuring a series of educational sessions speaking on cutting costs, reducing environmental impact and gaining supply chain efficiencies.

Continuing education. Your processing and packaging education continues at the Innovation Stage sessions at PACK EXPO (Booths #C-1041, C-1045 and C-1049). Leading industry experts will deliver their unique perspectives on regulatory and food safety implications for flexible packaging, how digital sorting technology is evolving to help food processors achieve quality and yield objective and guidelines for factory acceptance testing (FAT), among other topics.

To register, go to www.packexpolasvegas.com. And, swing by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ booth (#8404). 

PACK Gives BACK

PACK gives BACK, PACK EXPO’s yearly benefit event, is bringing legendary rock band Chicago to Las Vegas for a reception and concert Sept. 28, starting at 4 p.m. in Ballroom N-3.

This year’s beneficiary, the Fisher House Foundation, Rockville, Md., has saved military families an estimated $282 million in out-of-pocket travel expenses over the years through its network of comfort homes located near Veterans Administration or military medical facilities. When a veteran is undergoing treatment, his or her family can stay, free of charge, at a Fisher House.

Tickets for PACK gives Back, featuring Chicago, are available online at www.packexpolasvegas.com/pgb and cost $100 per person ($90 per person for groups of 10). Plan now to see the show, network and help a great cause.

At a Glance

What: 2015 PACK EXPO Las Vegas

When: Sept. 28-30

Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas